Baikal Mysteries: Baikal Shamanism
14. 03. 2017The guru of today's mystics and unknown researchers Nikolai Rerich considered Baikal to be one of several places on Earth with an increased concentration of energy, where the energy currents of the planet and the cosmos are interconnected.
It's hard to say what Rerich specifically meant, but the fact that he expressed the opinion of all mystics is quite clear. Maybe it's enough to figure out why everyone considers the lake sacred and how it manifests itself in practice.
Shamanism is the oldest religious form that was more or less born in the Stone Age, when there were no states and people's lives were based only on fruit picking and game hunting. In fact, this form of religious belief in one form or another was widespread wherever people lived.
And to this day, it is easy to see that this was indeed the case, as shamans still live not only in Siberia, but also in Africa, Asia and America.
Of course, it should be noted that shamanism is widespread only in places with a low level of education and overall development of life. Most likely this is a key element in preserving the ancient paradoxical faith.
The essence of the shaman's work lies in his ability to enter a trance and thus communicate with sacred spirits. Baikal shamans call this process kamlanie. The word kamlat is derived from the Tjuri word kam, which means shaman. But the word shaman itself comes from the Tungusic language and refers to a man in a trance.
Many people think that the Siberian shaman deals exclusively with clairvoyance and weather changes. In fact, this is one of the reasons for the preservation of the whole Siberian culture, and as far as the shaman himself is concerned, he plays a much more important role in the social life of small nations. He is not only a magician and clergyman, but also a doctor and chief consultant on the most important issues, and it is very difficult to do without him.
In order for the camel to enter the trance, the bajkal shaman must necessarily wear a special ritual suit, paint his face appropriately, and also surround himself and "arm himself" with the necessary tools (eg fire, drum, etc.).
Then, around the fire, he gathers the right people, brings a ritual sacrifice, and writes something that is a yahoo and an instant ticket to the trance. He uses rattlesnakes on his clothes and drum to make rhythmic sounds. To completely convert his mind to another level, he performs in his tact some singular movements that resemble dancing.
The rhythm gradually accelerates and at the same time the intensity of the sound increases. Therefore, in order to definitely enter a trance, he uses light intoxicating smoke, which comes from a fire in which a mixture of selected herbs and mushrooms is burned. As a result, not only the shaman, but also many observers find themselves under the strong influence of hypnotic and hallucinogenic factors, which put them in an altered state of consciousness and thus allow them contact with spirits.Different spirits can enter the body of a shaman: Earth, Heaven, deceased relatives, animals, etc. It occupies the entire being of the shaman, who can thus completely lose control of himself. From his mouth comes a strange speech, which is considered direct communication with ghosts.
In the end, he may lose consciousness. At that moment, the shaman's spirit leaves his own body to settle and solve the assigned task. The rituals depend on the goals of the individual ceremonies. For example, due to the summoning of any weather, it is not necessary to enter a deep trance at all.
Very similar scenarios are widespread in other cultures of shamanism in all parts of the world. It should be noted that there is nothing ridiculous about these rituals. From the point of view of official and well-known hypnosis, all these procedures are an ideal option for entering a deep trance.
However, the very fact of the ritual performed would mean nothing if it had no practical use. But even here, from a purely pragmatic position, there are strong rational arguments that point to the credibility of the information the shaman obtained during the Kamlanie.
In similar situations, we are talking about the role of the subconscious, which has incredible reserves, and perhaps that it is giving a person really the right information, which he does not seem to have been able to know. It controls everything and makes many calculations according to circumstantial evidence, but the problem is that we are not able to translate this information into a language that is understandable to our consciousness.
And in such altered states of consciousness, such as those ceremonies or extracorporeal journeys I have studied, human consciousness comes into direct contact with the source of a high-performance internal computer.
The truth is, there is little room for self-control in shamanism, but even without that, the result can be completely serious.
So, even if we are based on the most common scientific knowledge, the effectiveness of shamanism can be considered justified in such issues as determining the weather, the future, methods of treatment, etc. This is why it is not necessary to be skeptical of similar practices.
To some extent, they may be stronger than any other method of the Western world. What's more, the Kamlanie ceremony can surpass other practices known to science today that involve working with consciousness.
But it is not possible to think that it is enough to dress appropriately and pound rhythmically into drums in order to consider ourselves a shaman. These are definitely not the basic conditions. The shamans themselves admit that there are many "masquerades" in their environment who cannot do anything and in this way only discredit all shamanic culture from impartial observers.
The point is that a shaman must be born, and most often it means having a powerful spiritual protector who is passed on only within the legacy of ancestors. There are other ways and possibilities to become one, but these are very rare.
From the point of view of common sense, hereditary shamanism can be explained by a genetic disposition to similar things, which has completely harmless and understandable forms, such as a developed imagination, the art of easily changing states of consciousness, high ambitions, etc.
There is also great interest in the same rituals being spread throughout the Earth. This cannot be a mere coincidence. In my opinion, this is a sign of the effectiveness of the method, which is universal for contact with the subconscious and which is easier to reproduce in this form (rhythm, sound, intoxicating smell, etc.). Probably because of this, almost identical rituals appear both in hot Africa and cold Siberia, ie in places that are many thousands of kilometers apart.
We often think that somewhere far away it can be better than here. That's what all the people on our planet think. Perhaps that is why the Mexican shaman Cachora has been dreaming for many years that he will come to us, to our native Baikal.
The situation is interesting in that this Cachora is probably a prototype of the so well-known Don Juan from the work of Carlos Castaneda.
Mystics in our country have been mad for many years with the joy of Castaned's books, while their protagonist longs to stay with us.
For any shaman, wherever he lives, Baikal is the most cultured place.
And it is this perception of things that encourages Grandfather Tezlcazi Guitime Cachor, one of Mexico's most famous shamans, to come and exchange experiences with his Siberian relatives, whom he considers the most advanced in the world.
This tells us that we do not have to be too passionate about distant culture and beliefs, their practices and opinions. On the territory of Russia there are no less old and no less developed cultures that offer us no less interesting magical practices.
So why is Baikal a cult place of shamans? According to superstition, the sacral center of the entire northern hemisphere is located in the Baikal region. If so, then this center is located on the largest island of the lake, Olchon. If the place was determined more precisely, it would be a clearing called the World Tree, near the village of Charanci.
This is where the most important events in the world of shamanism are often held. Here are the camelia ceremonies, dedicated to the vital and urgent questions of all mankind. Here, the representatives of the whole shamanic world are coming down regularly.
It is remarkable how much human effort has been concentrated around the lake, which is an important ecological reservoir of the world. There is the largest reservoir of fresh water and its advantageous geopolitical location constantly arouses the curiosity of all neighbors. An incredible lost world with the most unique plants and animals.
And as it turns out, it's the central place of all the mystics of the planet. What else does he hide in himself? And is it even possible that it really is the most unique place on Earth?